10 Tips On How To Handle A Vegan Coming To Your Thanksgiving Dinner
So, you have a vegan coming to your Thanksgiving dinner.
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Don't panic! This isn't going to completely derail your plans. No, really: it's a perfect excuse to learn some new recipes to add to your collection, test out dairy replacements and other ingredient swaps, or even just to incorporate a few more vegetables into your meal. This isn't going to ruin your holiday, promise.
The number of vegans has been steadily rising over the past decade, with a whopping 9.7 million Americans committing to the plant-based lifestyle per the latest estimate. It could be your sibling's new partner, a relative who's cut dairy out of their diet for a couple of months, a cousin who stopped eating meat, or, hey, it could even be you!
Whatever the situation may be, the following is a list of ideas to help make any Thanksgiving (or holiday) meal a breeze for both you and your vegan guests.
1.Try cooking some new (vegan) recipes.
If you're open to trying something new in the kitchen, this is a great reason to try a recipe that you've never made before. Vegans are known for getting creative with their recipes due to the limitations they're used to, so the options are practially limitless. You could try carrots in a blanket for an appetizer, stuffed acorn squash, a meatless meatloaf, or even a decadent beet wellington. For more inspiration, here's a list of 101 vegan thanksgiving recipes I gathered from across the internet that you can't go wrong with. And you never know, the new vegan recipe you try could end up being a new favorite!
2.Incorporate some vegetables into your feast.
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Oh, a vegan's coming to dinner? Might as well break out the veggies, then! When you're not sure what a vegan can actually eat, vegetables are a pretty safe place to start. As long as you aren't cooking them with butter, milk, or other dairy products, this is an easy addition to add to the Thanksgiving table that your vegan guests will be stoked to see as an option. (Plus, I think we could all use a little more greens in our lives.)
3.Focus on making your side dishes vegan.
Look, I'm not going to tell you not to have a turkey for the rest of your guests if you have a vegan at the table, and I'm not going to tell you to buy a full fake tofurkey, either. I want to make things work in a reasonable way for everyone that's involved here, especially the person who is planning the occasion. One easy way to provide options for your vegan guests without messing up your entire plan is to focus on the side dishes and make sure they're plant-based.
Pick some new recipes or make sure the ones you have are free of dairy and meat. And of course, if your family has a non-vegan favorite side dish, you should feel free to keep it as it is. However, I'm happy to report that my mom has been sneakily swapping almond milk for real milk, Earth Balance for butter, and Veganaise for Mayo in her beloved family recipes for years now and nobody can tell the difference.
4.Familiarize yourself with what vegans actually eat.
5.Look into a couple of easy swaps that you can buy when you're at the store.
6.Set aside or dedicate a small portion of your recipe to be made vegan.
Speaking from personal experience, my lovely and hugely accommodating parents made their regular stuffing recipe (which happened to be vegan to start) and set aside a couple of servings before stuffing it up the turkey's butt. They'd cook the non-turkey version in a separate baking pan for vegetarian or vegan guests.
This idea can work for all sorts of recipes: make a small batch of cheddar biscuits without the cheddar, sweet potato casserole without the marshmallows, or sausage stuffing without the sausage. You can get creative here! And if it totally sucks with the modifications, I bet the vegan will be so touched that you made them a vegan version that they won't even care.
7.Vegan gravy will make all the difference.
I've sat through many Thanksgiving dinners as a vegan eating mostly sides and vegetables, which was perfectly fine. But when I found a recipe for vegan gravy that was quick to make (and more importantly, wouldn't mess up the cooking flow of the kitchen) it totally changed the game. I suddenly realized that gravy was the glue that tied everything together. And let's be honest, everything tastes better covered in gravy!
While I use this recipe to make my own, there are plenty of ready-to-make mixes for vegetarian gravy that you can pick up at the grocery store. It's by no means a "must include" for your meal, but if you can swing it, I know it'll be appreciated.
8.Consider whether or not the alcohol you're serving is vegan, too.
You might not know that some alcohol is made with animal products. Some beers are brewed with gelatin and glycerin, while wines and ciders can be brewed with milk sugar, honey, and other dairy products.
Luckily, there's an app for that: Barnivore! It's a great resource that'll tell you which types of booze are vegan-approved. If this is all too much to consider, most hard seltzers are usually vegan and you usually can't go wrong with a clear alcohol like vodka or gin.
9.If all else fails, buy them a small vegan meal to eat.
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Listen, I'm fully aware that you may have been reading this entire list thinking, "You're asking me to change my beloved recipe for somebody?" I totally get that. While I'd still advocate for a few swaps here and there if you can make it work, if you can't, your vegan guest will still be pleased to have any food that's vegan.
The frozen food aisle of your grocery store will no doubt have some frozen meals that you can pick from. Most fast food restaurants have some sort of vegan dessert or side that they could have. If you can find it, a special Thanksgiving individual meal would be even better like a vegan turkey or a veganized pie (my personal favorite is this vegan pot pie from Raised Gluten Free). If your local store isn't cutting it, Vegan Essentials has a huge variety of food that ships across the country, and Gluten Free Mall has an awesome vegan section for an option that'll suit multiple food allergies at once.
10.Don't forget dessert.
You'd be surprised at how many Thanksgiving pies are already vegan (shout-out to apple pie and most fruit-based pies!). However, the ones that aren't are incredibly easy to veganize. Swap your butter for a vegan one, your milk for nut milk, and your cream for coconut cream — and I promise you and your guests won't notice a difference in taste. If it's easier, you can pick up a box of vegan sweets at the store — or in a pinch, Oreos are actually vegan, too!
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